For most on board, long-haul flights are endured with a sleep mask, a few movies or TV shows… but for the pilots flying the plane, it’s a whole different story.
Despite popular belief, pilots have a lot more to do in the air after switching to autopilot, and one pilot has used TikTok to set the record straight.
In response to a confused TikToker who asked, “What the hell are pilots supposed to do for an 18 hour flight, like Singapore to New York, 18 hours, all they have to do is take off and land,” airline Pilo said.tGary Baumgardner said
The pilot, based at LAX, told his 240,700 followers that it’s not “entirely accurate” to say they just take off and land.
To clear up any confusion, the pilot spoke to MailOnline.
Contrary to popular belief, pilots have a lot to do on their long-haul flights other than press the autopilot button, and one pilot has used TikTok to set the record straight
The pilot said he wanted to clear up some misconceptions and revealed to thousands of followers what pilots actually do in the air
In the viral video, having just completed a nearly 18-hour shift, Gary said he wanted to “clear up” some misconceptions.
He said, ‘EEveryone thinks we’re like Homer Simpson up there, and there’s like a big button that we push. One button is there, call it the autopilot and we do nothing.’
But Gary explained, “TAutopilot is a tool like a bat is a tool for a Major League Baseball player when he wants to hit a home run.”
For example, the pilot explained that if they fly during a thunderstorm, the autopilot can’t just automatically guide you out of it.
He added: ‘When ATC (air traffic control) tells you to climb, descend or turn, that just doesn’t happen with autopilot, we have to do that.’
According to Gary, they have to fill out logs, take ATC calls and do ‘all kinds of other things’ such as system checks.
“And that’s only if there’s nothing going on that’s not normal or in emergency situations,” he added.
Gary told MailOnline that pilots only get breaks if there are at least three pilots on board and that these usually last between 2 and 3 hours
Another common misconception concerns pilots’ sleeping arrangements, but the pilot quickly cleared this up and told followers that pilots can sleep.
He explained, “I’m sure if you have a flight that’s 18 hours, you have four pilots and we actually have our own beds and bunks up there and we sleep and eat.”
On an 18-hour flight, he said, pilots can eat breakfast, dinner and lunch, but they may not be in the right order due to time differences.
According to the pilot, most international flights have “rest beds” for the crew to sleep in, but for those that don’t, he said, “They reserve a first class seat for you to sit and lie down in so you can get some rest.”
Since its publication, the TikTok has been viewed nearly four million times and received thousands of comments from intrigued users.
After much confusion in the comments section, Gary confirmed to MailOnline that there are always two pilots at the controls and they only get breaks if ‘you have at least three pilots.’
He explained: ‘Breaks will vary depending on the number of crew members and the duration of the flight, but will typically last 2-3 hours.’
According to Gary, many things help pass the time during an 18-hour plane shift, and they may even get a first-class seat to rest
Gary revealed that he actually prefers longer flights because it is “more efficient with your time and money.”
He added: “Flying one six-hour flight to Hawaii is more pleasant than three flights of two hours each. But not all pilots feel this way and many prefer shorter flights.”
One person wrote: ‘It’s an incredibly tough job,’ while another said: ‘Thank you for keeping us safe.’
A former flight attendant commented, “I’m glad you explained this because people used to get angry when they saw pilots sleeping.”
Meanwhile, another added: “Imagine you’re just chilling in first class and you see your pilot chilling next to you.”